108 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
issued, and the interest felt in them and in the geological collec¬ 
tions are greater today than they have ever been, and are steadily 
increasing. 
The same effect may be produced in every department by the use 
of the same methods that have been so successful in the teaching 
and investigation of the geology of this neighborhood, and the 
most important of all of these steps has been the last, the payment 
of a salary for the investigation of the geology of the Boston Basin. 
Teaching in tiie Museum. 
The work in this department has been continued by Mr. A. W. 
Grabau, through the generosity of the same lady who enabled us to 
initiate this movement. The new plan of giving a certain number 
of regular lectures at stated hours has been continued, and is suc¬ 
cessful. The spring courses described in the last annual report 
were well attended, and lasted throughout May and June, except 
one week in June. 
Talks on different families of Mammalia were introduced into this 
course and were continued throughout May and June, about six lec¬ 
tures being given, with an average attendance of forty persons. The 
course for the autumn began October 2, 1895, and continued to 
December 18, fifty-eight lectures having been given, with an average 
attendance of eighteen persons. This apparently small average 
attendance is due to the fact that these lectures were given on 
Wednesdays as well as on Saturdays, the average attendance on 
Saturday mornings having been much larger than on Wednesday 
mornings. 
• The course now going on was commenced April 4, and up to the 
present time twelve lectures have been given, with an average attend¬ 
ance of about thirty-six persons. Talks on Invertebrata have been 
introduced into this course, and have attracted attention. There 
were about thirty-five persons present at each of the two lessons 
r 
so far given. 
The Curator has observed that this plan of having an educated 
man act as guide in the Museum and give lectures in connection 
with the collections has attracted attention outside of this Society, 
and it will doubtless be found far more useful than guide books, 
wherever it is fairly tried. 
